There's No Suspense About It … Another Creative Coup for Conklin!

COLUMBUS, Ohio - June 27, 2023 - PRLog -- Congratulations to resident author B. Robert Conklin for finishing as a finalist for his debut novel An End to Etcetera in the 17^th Annual National Indie Excellence^® Awards! Correspondence from NIEA stated, "Your book embodies the standards of excellence that this award was created to celebrate. We salute your talents and our jurors truly respect each of the final works that are honored this year."

"I'm very pleased, amazed, and astounded, placing as one of five finalists in the suspense category," Conklin commented. "I view it as a great honor gaining recognition for not just the writing but the design and format of the book. It's a wonderful feeling knowing that judges and jurors found my novel eye-catching and engaging. I have to thank my beta and ARC readers for their feedback and support."

It's also a win for Conklin's publishing company, Skip the Preface. This is the first release from the fledgling imprint.

Established in 2005, NIEA's entrants are meticulously judged by experts from various disciplines of the industry including publishers, editors, authors, and book designers. Winning and finalist titles are determined on the basis of superior written content coupled with the various elements that comprise all the information in a published product.

"Our jurors submerged into each individual title throughout every distinct category or genre," stated NIEA President Doug Fogelson, "analyzing entries against their peers and the genre itself, ultimately resulting in those now featured on our website. The recent pandemic years seem to have been a boon for authors as NIEA continues to remain incredibly competitive."

Conklin's entry can be found with that of the other finalists (under "S" for suspense) at https://www.indieexcellence.com/17th-annual-finalists.

Not your typical whodunnit, what sets An End to Etcetera apart from other psychological suspense novels is the relationship that gradually builds between two characters who are worlds apart: an obsessive-compulsive psychologist and her teenage patient as she investigates his unfounded claim that he drowned an autistic child left in his care. Is he a pathological liar? A delusional sociopath? Or just a troubled kid seeking attention?

A graduate of The Ohio State University, with a teaching background in composition and literature, Conklin has also co-authored a college textbook to help emerging writers connect with their world. He lives in Columbus with his spouse and three kids where he freelances as a technical editor and e-learning specialist. He has plans to publish a follow-up suspense novel later this year.

You can find out more about Conklin's novel on Amazon. It's also available for purchase through Barnes & Noble, Books2Read, and IngramSpark.